---
title: "Knee Pain"
---
## Not All Knee Pain Is Arthritis
Knee pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor for musculoskeletal complaints. It is also one of the most commonly mislabeled. Patients often arrive having been told they have knee arthritis when their actual issue is a meniscus tear, tendinopathy, or post-injury inflammation that responds to different treatments.
The knee is a complex joint with many structures that can generate pain: cartilage, ligaments, tendons, menisci, bursa, and the patella. When something goes wrong with any of these, the result can feel similar from the patient's perspective even though the underlying cause is very different. The right treatment depends on the right diagnosis.
## Where the Pain Is Tells Us a Lot
The location and pattern of your knee pain often points to the source.
#### Pain on the inside or outside of the knee
Pain on the inner side can come from medial compartment osteoarthritis, medial meniscus tears, MCL sprains, or pes anserinus bursitis. Pain on the outer side suggests lateral compartment osteoarthritis, lateral meniscus tears, iliotibial band syndrome, or LCL sprains. See our Knee Arthritis page for more on cartilage wear specifically.
#### Pain in the front of the knee
Pain around or behind the kneecap often involves patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner's knee), patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee), quadriceps tendinopathy, prepatellar bursitis, or chondromalacia patella. This pattern often improves significantly with regenerative treatments addressing the involved tendons.
#### Pain in the back of the knee, or catching and locking
Pain behind the knee often involves a Baker's cyst, hamstring tendinopathy, or posterior horn meniscus tears. A knee that catches, locks, or gives way often suggests meniscus tears, loose bodies, or ligament instability, which benefit from imaging-confirmed diagnosis and sometimes coordinated care with orthopedic specialists.
#### Pain after a specific injury
If your pain developed after a twisting, contact, or fall injury, the pattern combined with the mechanism gives strong clues about which structures are involved. Acute injuries often need both diagnostic imaging and active treatment to support healing.
## When to See Someone
Consider professional evaluation when your knee pain has lasted more than four to six weeks without improvement, when it interferes with activities you want to do, when conservative treatments have not helped, when you want to understand the actual source, or when you have been treated for one diagnosis without success.
Seek prompt evaluation if you experience sudden severe knee pain following an injury, inability to bear weight, significant swelling, warmth, or redness, a knee that frequently catches or locks, or knee pain accompanied by fever or feeling unwell.
## How PHI Approaches Knee Pain
The first step is comprehensive evaluation to identify the actual source: a detailed history including any injury, a physical examination with specific tests for joint, ligament, meniscus, and tendon involvement, review of imaging, and sometimes a diagnostic injection when uncertainty exists.
Once the source is clear, options include image-guided knee injections with cortisone for inflammation, hyaluronic acid (Orthovisc) for knee osteoarthritis specifically, PRP therapy for tendon problems and joint conditions, stem cell therapy for moderate to severe conditions, A2M therapy for cartilage involvement, exosome therapy within comprehensive protocols, and genicular nerve blocks and ablation for significant knee pain where nerve-targeted treatment can provide durable relief. For significant ligament tears, large meniscus tears, or end-stage arthritis, we coordinate with surgical specialists. We do not apply the same treatment to every patient regardless of diagnosis.
## Why PHI for Knee Pain
## Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: How do I know if my knee pain is arthritis or something else?**
A combination of factors helps. Arthritis pain typically worsens with activity, includes morning stiffness, and shows joint space narrowing on imaging. Meniscus tears often involve catching or locking. Tendinopathy is usually localized to a tender spot. Imaging plus examination usually identifies the source, and many patients are surprised their knee pain is not actually arthritis.
**Q: My MRI shows a meniscus tear. Do I need surgery?**
Not necessarily. Many meniscus tears, particularly degenerative tears more common after 40, do not require surgery. Studies show that for many degenerative tears, physical therapy and conservative treatment produce outcomes similar to arthroscopic surgery. Acute traumatic tears, particularly bucket-handle tears that interfere with movement, are more likely to benefit from repair. We help you understand which category your tear falls into.
**Q: I have knee pain from running. What can I do?**
Running-related knee pain often involves patellofemoral pain syndrome, IT band syndrome, or patellar tendinopathy. These respond well to PRP and other regenerative treatments alongside form modification, strengthening, and sometimes shoe or training adjustments. Most runners with knee pain can return to running with appropriate treatment.
**Q: I've had multiple cortisone shots and they're working less well over time. What now?**
This is common and worth taking seriously. Repeated cortisone in the same joint can have cumulative effects and the response often diminishes. For most patients in this situation, transitioning to longer-lasting options like hyaluronic acid or genicular ablation, or regenerative approaches, makes more sense than continuing repeated cortisone.
**Q: Will I need a knee replacement?**
This depends on what is actually causing your pain and the stage of any underlying arthritis. Most knee pain does not require replacement. Replacement is appropriate for advanced arthritis where non-surgical options have been adequately tried. For other sources, replacement is typically not the answer.
**Q: How long does it take treatment to work?**
This varies significantly. Cortisone often produces relief within days. Hyaluronic acid develops gradually over weeks. PRP and other regenerative options work over 1 to 3 months. Genicular ablation produces relief that develops over weeks. Your physician will set specific expectations.
**Q: Do you take insurance?**
Insurance coverage and payment options may vary. All pricing is disclosed at consultation. We provide documentation for patients to submit for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
**Q: How quickly can I be seen?**
Contact our concierge team and we'll coordinate your consultation and plan of care. Call (310) 856-9488 to discuss timing.
**Q: Do you accept international patients?**
Yes. PHI regularly treats patients from outside Los Angeles, including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, London, and other international locations.
## Treatments We Offer for Knee Pain
PHI offers the full range of evidence-based treatments for knee pain. Your physician will recommend the right option, or combination, based on the actual source of your pain, your imaging, and your treatment history.
- Knee Injections, image-guided cortisone and hyaluronic acid (Orthovisc)
- PRP Therapy, strong evidence for tendinopathy
- Stem Cell Therapy
- A2M Therapy
- Exosome Therapy
- Genicular Nerve Block
- Genicular Radiofrequency Ablation, durable relief from a single procedure
> Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus sham surgery for a degenerative meniscal tear. New England Journal of Medicine.
— [Sihvonen R, et al.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24369076/)
> Clinical practice guideline: management of osteoarthritis of the knee. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
— [American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons](https://www.aaos.org/quality/quality-programs/lower-extremity-programs/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee/)
## Schedule Your Knee Pain Consultation
A 60-minute consultation will identify the actual source of your knee pain, walk through the treatment options that match it, and give you a clear plan. Call (310) 856-9488 or book online now.
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